To choose or not to choose..that is not the question!

Thanks http://xprojectmanagement.com

One of the most determining moments in most teenagers' life (specifically Malaysians) is choosing their career path after receiving the Malaysian Education Certificate (SPM) results. I've encountered a great number of people who actually wait for the SPM results before charting their career path. It is basically sensible because the SPM result can be used as a gauge of the strengths and weaknesses of a person in a particular field. But is it legitimate enough to be the choice maker of a person's career?

A friend of mine actually got a B (or was it a C..) in his SPM Biology. He wanted to take medicine. So it was a major blow to him somewhat. It would be very hard for him to obtain a scholarship (with regard to his other subjects' grades). Nonetheless, he was determined to pursue this career. He liked to help others and medicine is his interest. Maybe he slacked a bit in secondary school, but that doesn't mean he's not competent enough to become a doctor. So, he went to a private college, finished his prep there and flew off to study abroad.

Now here's another story. In previous years, new courses have been created in Malaysia i.e. Nuclear Physics or something like that. So, in secondary schools, all these glamorous-looking new courses were advertised. School counselors told their students to take up these and some actually got interested. However, after pursuing the courses, they had a hard time to find a job related to their courses because the fields were not established in the country. To apply for jobs overseas was out of the question or too hard for most of them so in the end, they didn't really get to work as they dreamed they would.

Lastly, I'd like to tell you about the very cliched story of Bill Gates. This man is known by a lot of people from around the world and is always highlighted as 'the man who dropped out of Harvard and became a billionaire'. One thing about him is that he has been interested in computers since he was very small. And he is also very smart (from hard work of course). He chose to not finish his degree and do his thing because he already knew what to do and what his interest was. His craze for computing (besides business talent) helped him become a billionaire.

Ok, back to the topic above..you have to make a choice or you'll end up following the crowd (that's actually a choice too). In a movie I just watched, World Invasion: Battle Lost Angeles (it's a nice movie by the way), during this one scene, the hero, a Staff Sergeant, said (something like this):

 "Sometimes, whether you choose right or left, you'll die. But you still have to make a decision."

And I believe this is true. But it isn't as hard as being in a war and stuck between two choices of death and (probably) death too. You have a vast array of choices. It then comes down to a number of matters, your interest and your future. Answer these questions before you choose that career you're looking at:

• Do my eyes flash at the sight of things related to that career? (or in other words, do I get enthusiastic when I think of the job?)
• Will I ever get bored being in that career for the rest of my life (or maybe for the next 10 to 20 years)?
• Can I make a living with this job?
• Can I actually find work in this career?
• Do I want to do this?

Many people find it hard to choose because of social influence, family, parents, friends, teachers and financial aspects. Me and my computer science friends always get the "Why are you taking computer science? Why not medic or engineering?" and our short answer would be "Interest". You also have to take into account industrial availability too. You don't want to end up not working after 3 to 5 years of toil in university. About financial assistance, if you're lucky, you can find a scholarship. Otherwise, you can also borrow from PTPTN. Yes, I know there's been a lot of complaining about it but the good news is that if you can score a 3.6 above in your CGPA (you'll get to know about this later if you don't know), it can be converted into a free scholarship! You won't have to pay!

Thanks kendba.com

Last but not least, make your choice. After that, chart the path. Be the pilot of your life. If you're not sure how to fly, ask the professionals. Your life will move on, so you should too! GOOD LUCK!